Roller



? l, 1944. l E AHENLEY 2,358,007

ROLLER i Filed Jan. 18, v1944 I' .1. I 1.7 y l?? ,5k

J5 y wml INVENTOR.

ATTRN EY- Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES; yPATENT OFFICE l' K22,358,007 I y'ROLLER Y Emmett A. Henley. Bakersfield, Calif;

Application 'January 1s, 1944, serial No. 518,729

' 7 claims. (01.16499) y This invention relates to ya caster typerollerl construction that may be utilized to movably support articles offurniture or other heavy articles.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a disappearing rollerwhich, when the article of dicated atIll and the side body partsindicated at II and I2.A These body parts may be secured" v togethersuch as by bolts, rivets, or the equiva-v lentindicatedat I3. On theunderside of the furniture on which the device is mounted, isstationarily positioned disappears Within the body of the constructionallowing the article to rest solidly on the floor or other supportingsurface, but which when the article is moved becomes eiec' tive toelevate the article from the supporting surface and rollably support.the same to facili,

tate its movement from one location to another.-

More specifically an object of the construction is to provide a castertype roller consisting of a roller having trunnions with inclinedsurfaces engageable with the periphery of the roller to facilitateelevation of the article of furniture, andI which has rail portionsadjacent the lower ends of the inclined surfaces adapted to supportinglyengage the ,trunnions whereby the weight of the article is transferredfrom the periphery of the' central body part IU there are formed twodownwardly inclined surfaces indicated at I4 and I5,

these being oppositely inclined from adjacent the centerof the body partand extending downwardly toward its ends. the diameter of which isapproximately equal Vto the distance between the apex I1 and the bot- Aroller I6 is `provided,

tom surfaces I8 at the ends of the side body parts Y II and I2 so that'this roller may occupy a position wholly within the body as illustratedin L dotted lines on Fig. 2. Preferably the roller carries a thin'rubber tire I9 although, if desired, the

body of the roller may be completely formed ofl 23. These inclinedsurfaces are substantially parallel tothe inclined surfaces I4 and I5.`However, adjacent their ends/they lmeet or merge with rail portions 24which may Ibe either horiwhich will be made manifest 'in the followingdetailed description and specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference is had to the a'c-Y companying drawing for anillustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional View of the device em bodying the presentinvention illustrating the article of furniturey on ,which the devicemaybe mounted with the article of furniture in its stationary positionwherein it is resting solidly, on

the floor or other supporting surface;

Fig; 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the parts in thatposition wherein `the ar'- ticle of furniture has been elevatedand is ina position to be rolled; I e

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken substantially upon the line 3--3 uponFig. 2, in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 4 is a partial View similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a slightlymodified form of construction.

'Ihe caster or roller construction embodying' the present invention ispreferably formed of 55 three body parts, the center bodyv part beinginzontal or substantially so. If they are given a trunnions 20preferably equipped with bushings slight inclination as shown on Fig. 2,they are y but slightly inclined inwardly toward the apexv 23. The endsof the inclined surfaces I4 and I5' meet or merge with horizontalsurfaces 25 at .the ends of the central body part I0.

Theconstruction is such that the vertical dis tance between surfaces I4and I5 and their parr allel surfaces 22 isV slightly less than theverti-" cal distance between .surfaces 25 and the rail'` struction abovedescribed are as follows: In the;

position shown in Fig. 1, theroller has-completely disappeared withinthe body so that the articler These side plates'` A may rest solidly onthe floor or other sllpporting surface.

and the inclined surface I5.

If the body is moved from right toY left the roller tends t'o wedgebetween the oor The weight of the'v article A is thus transmitted fromthecentral' body part I0 directlyto the periphery of the l" clinedsurface I and the floor rather than mere- Vposition shown therein.

ly have the roller skid or slide across the floor when pushed by theinclined surface I5. During the time that thev inclined surface I5 isrolling up the roller the bushings onV the trunnions do not engage thesurfaces 22 so that there is no Weight carried by thetrunnionsduringthis period of op- Y j eration. When the inclined surface I5 hascompletely rolled up the roller the trunnions carry be'a wide variety ofinstallations of the'- structure' embodying the invention. In someinstalla- 1 struction of the article is such as; to .effectively concealthe roller construction it is not'. necessary that it be recessed in theframework of the furniture.

their bushings beneath the rail portions 24* on the side body members Iland I2, thus effecting a transfer of 'the weight of article Afrom thepe-Y riphery of the.roller to the trunnions'through Y the medium of therails 24. In this position the articleA may be pushed across the floorquite readily with the trunnions on the roller merely i rotating orturning in vtheir respective bushings. When'the "article has reached thedesired location it may be pushed slightly from left to right n causingtherbushi'ngs to rotate withtheir trunf nions and thus roll off of therails 24 and the roller Vreturns to itsl fully concealed positionwherein the article is again resting solidlyl on the oor as shown inFig. 1. Obviously, if the article is'thereafter pushed from left toright inclined surface Ill-will roll up on the roller'in `a reversedirectiony and at the lower end of the inclined surface I4 there will bea transfer of weight from the periphery ofthe roller to the trunnions.

roller is at al1 times concealed when the Varticle A is in-a. stationaryposition., When itis desired to` move the article thisV can be easilyaccomplished by merely pushing on the article and this By means ,ofilthis construction the caster ory results in elevating the article therequired distance :with great mechanical advantage. When the article isfully elevated and is supported by Vthe trunnions it will be noted thatthe continued rotation of the roller occasioned Vby the continuedmovement of the article does not wear a notch orA recess in the undersurface of the rail portions 24. Such a notch or recess if wornwouldzhinder return of the roller from the full line position shown inFig. 2, to the dotted line When it is desired to cause the roller toreturn from the full line position shown in Fig. 2, to the dotted lineposition shown therein, reverse rotation of the roller occasioned byreversely moving the article only a short distance will cause thebushings to rotate friotionally with the trunnions off of the rail[portions 24 so as to enable the inclined surface I4Y or I5, as the casemay be, to roll down the v periphery of the roller;

Vtal as shown in Fig. 2, providing, the necessary clearance between .theends of the body section I0 andthe periphery of the roller when theweight of the article is supported by the trunnions engaging the railportions 24a.

Fromthe above-described construction it will be appreciatedthat theimproved roller or caster is a very simple and durable design, that itsparts can be economically manufactured, and when ,article transferredthereto. Y

VVarious changes maybe made in the details. of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit Y and scope ofthe invention asv defined by theroller engageable with the periphery of the roller whereby, on movingthe article relatively to the supporting surface, said inclined surfaceVwill `roll upwardly on the roller toV elevate. the article, trunnionson the roller, and means on the article adapted to be supportinglyengaged by the trunnions when said inclined surface has rolled upvweight of the wardly on the roller to` have the 2. A device of the classdescribed comprisinga roller adapted to roll on a supporting surface,A

means providinga downwardly inclined surface on an article adapted to besupported by the roller engageable with the periphery of the rollerwhereby, on moving the article relatively to the supporting surface,said inclined surface will roll upwardly on the roller to elevate `thearticle,trun nions on the roller, and means on, the article` adapted tobe supportingly engaged by the trunnions when said inclined surface hasrolled up'- wardly on the roller to have the weight of the articletransferred thereto, said trunnions having bushings thereon. Y

3. A device of the class described comprising' a roller havingtrunnions, means: providing oppositely extending inclined surfacesengageable with the periphery of the roller, and meansfor'effecting-atransfer of the weight of the article supported by theroller to the trunnions at the ends-` of the downwardly inclinedsurfaces. v

4. A device of the class described comprising a rollerr havingtrunnions,y means providing oppositely extending inclined surfacesengageable with the periphery of theroller,` and means for effecting atransfer of Athe weight of the article supported by the roller tothetrunnions at the ends of the downwardly inclined surfaces, nionshaving bushings thereon.

5. A 'device of the class described comprising said truna roller havingtrunnions equipped with bushings,

means providing an inclined surface adapted to supportingly'engage vtheperiphery ofi the roller, and Ymeans adapted to supportingly engage thebushings on the .trunnions at the lower end of the inclined surface soas to effect aV transfer'of used, it will serve to eiliciently lift andtransport an'article on which it maybe mounted.

weight from the periphery of the-roller to the trunnions. Y

6. A device of the class described comprising a roller having trunnionsequipped with bushings, means providing opposed downwardly and out;wardly inclined surfaces eitherof which is adapted to supportinglyengage the periphery of the roller, and means providing rail portionsadapted.

It will of course be appreciated that ,there may to supportingly engagethe bushings on the trunnions at the lower ends of either of theinclined surfaces so as to effect a transfer of Weight from theperiphery of the roller to the trunnions.

7. A device of the class described comprisingk a body presentingadjacent its center oppositely extending downwardly inclined surfaces, aroller adapted to have its periphery supportingly engage either of saidinclined surfaces, said roller having trunnions equipped with bushings,said body presenting railportions .at the sides of said f

